8th Tour of Qatar - 2.1

Qatar, February 1-6, 2009

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Stage 5 - February 5: Camel Race Track - Qatar Foundation, 147.5km

Qatar continues in memory of Nolf

By Gregor Brown in Doha, Qatar

Frederiek Nolf died before stage 5. The race was neutralised in his honour
Photo ©: TDWsports.com / Topsport Vlaanderen

The Tour of Qatar continued Thursday despite the sudden death of Belgian Frederiek Nolf the night before at the official race hotel. The riders rode a shortened, neutralised stage of 30 kilometres from Al Shahaniyah to Doha. They took 55 minutes in memory of the 21-year-old of Team Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator, who died of a suspected heart attack in his sleep.

"The riders were not in shape to compete today, above all the Belgians. I think that to stop the race all together would have been bad. When [Fabio] Casartelli died they did not stop the stage [Tour de France stage 15, July 18, 1995 - ed.], they kept going," said cycling legend and race official Eddy Merckx.

The stage started at 14:05 after the 131 riders observed one minute of silence in honour of Nolf. Teams Katusha and Doha led the riders from the start at the camel racetrack.

The peloton covered the short ride east to Doha's capital city. Team Doha led a silent peloton over the line.

It was not a day to take pictures or go racing
Photo ©: AFP

Riders reported the mood of the group silent and sombre during the stage.

The Tour of Qatar, February 1 to 6, concludes tomorrow with its final stage. The riders will face a 121-kilometre stage from Sealine Beach to Doha's waterfront.

Tom Boonen is the current general classification leader. The two-time winner leads in what is a three-way fight with two Cervélo riders: Roger Hammond at 10 seconds and Heinrich Haussler at 12 seconds back.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by AFP Photo

Belgian fans were shocked when hearing the news.
It was not a day to take pictures or think about racing.
Overall leader Tom Boonen (Quick Step) was somber after hearing of his compatriot's passing.
The peloton had a short ride in honor of Frederiek Nolf.
Riders head back to the hotel after a 40km lap of honour for Frederiek Nolf.
Milram riders help each other don black arm bands in honour of Frederiek Nolf.
Kilian Patour (Garmin-Slipstream) wears the black arm band in memory of Frederiek Nolf.
Eddy Merckx talks to reporters about the death of Frederiek Nolf.

Images by Gregor Brown/Cyclingnews.com

Danilo Napolitano (Katusha, r) at the start of Tour of Qatar stage five.
All riders wore black mourning bands.
Belgian Eddy Merckx at the start of the neutralised Tour of Qatar stage five
Filippo Pozzato (Katusha), Mauro Da Dalto (Lampre-NGC) and Danilo Napolitano (Katusha), l-r, before the start of the neutralised stage five.

Images by Roberto Bettini/www.bettiniphoto.net

Friederik Nolf died only days before his 22nd birthday.
Nolf was a strong talent who won the junior's Route de l'Avenir in 2005.
Nolf still called his parents the night before his death and told them he wanted to try an attack in stage 5.
The race responsibles were stunned upon the news, including Eddy Merckx on the right.
The mood was down in the hotel as the riders started getting the news.
The riders find out the news in the lobby and are informed that the stage will be shortened and neutralised.
A Belgian fan watches the start of the neutralised stage.
The peloton arrives at the finish after the neutralised 30-kilometre stage.
Nolf's bike was displayed in honour of the rider.
A memorial service was held in the evening.

Images by

Each team put a jersey down to remember the young Belgian rider.
Nolf's picture was added to his bike and his jersey with his race number, 145.

Results

Stage 5 neutralised
 
General classification after stage 5
 
1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step                        10.19.07
2 Roger Hammond (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam                   0.10
3 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam               0.12
4 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam                    0.25
5 Andreas Klier (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam                   0.27
6 Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam          0.28
7 Angelo Furlan (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.                    1.07
8 Gabriel Rasch (Nor) Cervélo TestTeam                   1.43
9 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia-Highroad            2.21
10 Tom Veelers (Ned) Skil-Shimano                        2.35
11 Martin Reimer (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam
12 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Team Columbia-Highroad           2.43
13 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Team Katusha                    2.56
14 Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam                    3.19
15 Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Team Katusha                  3.24
16 Markus Zberg (Swi) BMC Racing Team                    3.26
17 Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Silence - Lotto              3.58
18 Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.                4.06
19 Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Skil-Shimano            4.47
20 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank                     4.54
21 Renaud Dion (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale                    5.00
22 Peter Wrolich (Aut) Team Milram                       5.05
23 Huub Duyn (Ned) Garmin - Slipstream                   5.47
24 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank                         5.51
25 Artur Gajek (Ger) Team Milram                         6.00
26 Marco Velo (Ita) Quick Step                           7.46
27 Koen De Kort (Ned) Skil-Shimano                       7.57
28 Robert Förster (Ger) Team Milram                      8.36
29 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Rabobank           8.42
30 Kristof Goddaert (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen            8.45
31 Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa) Team Columbia-Highroad      8.58
32 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Team Katusha                  9.11
33 Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Quick Step                      9.20
34 Marc De Maar (Ned) Rabobank                           9.23
35 Michael Friedman (USA) Garmin - Slipstream            9.24
36 Martin Kohler (Swi) BMC Racing Team                   9.35
37 Steven De Jongh (Ned) Quick Step                      9.38
38 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quick Step                       9.47
39 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas                            10.11
40 Murilo Fischer (Bra) Liquigas                        10.13
41 Gregory Henderson (NZl) Team Columbia-Highroad       10.19
42 Roy Curvers (Ned) Skil-Shimano                       10.28
43 Marco Bandiera (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.                 10.44
44 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen       10.45
45 Michael Barry (Can) Team Columbia-Highroad
46 Sebastian Lang (Ger) Silence - Lotto                 10.50
47 Guennadi Mikhailov (Rus) Team Katusha                11.10
48 Stijn Neirynck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen             11.20
49 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Skil-Shimano                   11.42
50 Alexei Markov (Rus) Team Katusha                     11.50
51 Björn Schröder (Ger) Team Milram                     11.59
52 Rhys Pollock (Aus) Drapac Porsche Cycling            12.04
53 Bram Tankink (Ned) Rabobank                          12.06
54 Stuart Shaw (Aus) Drapac Porsche Cycling             12.12
55 Servais Knaven (Ned) Team Milram                     12.15
56 Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Team Katusha                  12.21
57 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Silence - Lotto             13.42
58 Jürgen Roelandts (Bel) Silence - Lotto               15.03
59 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Team Columbia-Highroad        15.11
60 Omar Hasanin (Syr) Doha Team                         15.25
61 Cycril Lemoine (Fra) Skil-Shimano                    15.34
62 Roy Sentjens (Bel) Silence - Lotto                   15.44
63 Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.                 15.46
64 Hans Dekkers (Ned) Garmin - Slipstream               16.21
65 Marcin Sapa (Pol) Lampre - N.G.C.                    16.33
66 Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Quick Step                  17.25
67 Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Rabobank                       17.28
68 Alexander Serov (Rus) Team Katusha                   18.10
69 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale                 18.18
70 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin - Slipstream           19.11
71 Aymen Ben Hassine (Tun) Doha Team                    19.33
72 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Team Columbia-Highroad            21.04
73 José Luis Arrieta Lujambio (Spa) AG2R La Mondiale    21.09
74 Claudio Corioni (Ita) Liquigas                       22.25
75 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas                         22.39
76 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas
77 Blel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale                    22.42
78 William Frischkorn (USA) Garmin - Slipstream         22.59
79 Mickaël Damiens (Fra) Meitan Hompo - GDR             23.04
80 Kristof Vandewalle (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen         23.08
81 Kevin Van Impe (Bel) Quick Step                      23.10
82 Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.                  23.16
83 Stéphane Poulhies (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale             23.26
84 Thomas Fothen (Ger) Team Milram                      23.31
85 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Rabobank
86 Leif Hoste (Bel) Silence - Lotto                     23.40
87 Antonio Cruz (USA) BMC Racing Team                   23.56
88 Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.              24.08
89 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas                     25.40
90 David Deroo (Fra) Skil-Shimano                       25.49
91 Dominik Roels (Ger) Team Milram                      25.53
92 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream            27.13
93 Yuriy Krivtsov (Ukr) AG2R La Mondiale                27.21
94 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram                      27.26
95 Dean Windsor (Aus) Drapac Porsche Cycling            27.29
96 Frederick Nolf (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen             27.35
97 Florian Stalder (Swi) BMC Racing Team                27.53
98 Chad Beyer (USA) BMC Racing Team                     27.55
99 Sven Renders (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen               30.09
100 Robbie Williams (Aus) Drapac Porsche Cycling        30.57
101 Joseph Lewis (Aus) Drapac Porsche Cycling           30.58
102 Rafaa Chitioui (Tun) Doha Team                      31.02
103 Gatis Smukulis (Lat) AG2R La Mondiale               31.40
104 Joon Yong Seo (Kor) Meitan Hompo - GDR              31.50
105 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Quick Step                    33.22
106 Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Silence - Lotto             34.45
107 Guillaume Pont (Fra) Meitan Hompo - GDR             35.11
108 Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR
109 Cédric Pineau (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale                36.01
110 Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC Racing Team               36.11
111 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team
112 Maarten Neyens (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen            36.15
113 Kazuya Okazaki (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR             36.22
114 Farid Belhani (Alg) Doha Team                       36.34
115 Ricardo Van Der Velde (Ned) Garmin - Slipstream     36.49
116 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team Columbia-Highroad        36.52
117 Ben Swift (GBr) Team Katusha                        37.07
118 Stijn Joseph (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen              37.31
119 Kilian Patour (Fra) Garmin - Slipstream             40.31
120 Gianni Da Ros (Ita) Liquigas                        40.35
121 Simon Spilak (Slo) Lampre - N.G.C.                  40.41
122 Daniel Braunsteins (Aus) Drapac Porsche Cycling     40.47
123 Peter Mc Donald (Aus) Drapac Porsche Cycling
124 Abdelbaset Hannachi (Alg) Doha Team                 40.48
125 Taylor Tolleson (USA) BMC Racing Team               40.49
126 Badr Banihammad (UAE) Doha Team                     40.51
127 Moosa Said (Qat) Doha Team                          40.53
128 Masaaki Kikuchi (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR            41.00
129 Yasuharu Nakajima (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR
130 Ashley Humbert (Aus) Drapac Porsche Cycling         41.07
131 Tareq Esmaeili (Qat) Doha Team                      41.12
132 Bart Dockx (Bel) Silence - Lotto                    41.52
 
Points classification
 
1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step                              81 pts
2 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam                 75
3 Roger Hammond (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam                     61
4 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Team Katusha                     54
5 Angelo Furlan (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.                      43
6 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam                      38
7 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia-Highroad              36
8 Andreas Klier (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam                     34
9 Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam            32
10 Jürgen Roelandts (Bel) Silence - Lotto                  25
11 Tom Veelers (Ned) Skil-Shimano                          24
12 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Team Katusha                      23
13 Robert Förster (Ger) Team Milram                        21
14 Martin Reimer (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam                    20
15 Steven De Jongh (Ned) Quick Step                        19
16 Murilo Fischer (Bra) Liquigas                           19
17 Markus Zberg (Swi) BMC Racing Team                      18
18 Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Team Katusha                    17
19 Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin - Slipstream              17
20 Gabriel Rasch (Nor) Cervélo TestTeam                    16
21 Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.                  15
22 Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa) Team Columbia-Highroad        13
23 Kristof Goddaert (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen              10
24 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Silence - Lotto                10
25 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Team Columbia-Highroad              8
26 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quick Step                          7
27 Gatis Smukulis (Lat) AG2R La Mondiale                    5
28 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas                                5
29 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Rabobank              4
30 Michael Friedman (USA) Garmin - Slipstream               4
31 Alexei Markov (Rus) Team Katusha                         4
32 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Team Columbia-Highroad                4
33 Marcin Sapa (Pol) Lampre - N.G.C.                        3
34 Aymen Ben Hassine (Tun) Doha Team                        3
35 Abdelbaset Hannachi (Alg) Doha Team                      3
36 Marco Velo (Ita) Quick Step                              3
37 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank                        2
38 Koen De Kort (Ned) Skil-Shimano                          2
39 Martin Kohler (Swi) BMC Racing Team                      2
40 Stijn Neirynck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen                 2
41 David Deroo (Fra) Skil-Shimano                           2
42 Chad Beyer (USA) BMC Racing Team                         2
43 Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam                       1
44 Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Silence - Lotto                 1
45 Blel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale                        1
46 Robbie Williams (Aus) Drapac Porsche Cycling             1
 
Young rider classification
 
1 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam           10.19.19
2 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia-Highroad            2.09
3 Tom Veelers (Ned) Skil-Shimano                         2.23
4 Martin Reimer (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam
5 Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Team Katusha                   3.12
6 Huub Duyn (Ned) Garmin - Slipstream                    5.35
7 Artur Gajek (Ger) Team Milram                          5.48
8 Kristof Goddaert (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen             8.33
9 Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Quick Step                       9.08
10 Marc De Maar (Ned) Rabobank                           9.11
11 Martin Kohler (Swi) BMC Racing Team                   9.23
12 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas                             9.59
13 Marco Bandiera (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.                 10.32
14 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen       10.33
15 Stijn Neirynck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen             11.08
16 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Skil-Shimano                   11.30
17 Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Team Katusha                  12.09
18 Jürgen Roelandts (Bel) Silence - Lotto               14.51
19 Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Rabobank                       17.16
20 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas                         22.27
21 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas
22 Blel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale                    22.30
23 Mickaël Damiens (Fra) Meitan Hompo - GDR             22.52
24 Kristof Vandewalle (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen         22.56
25 Stéphane Poulhies (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale             23.14
26 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Rabobank                   23.19
27 David Deroo (Fra) Skil-Shimano                       25.37
28 Dominik Roels (Ger) Team Milram                      25.41
29 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram                      27.14
30 Dean Windsor (Aus) Drapac Porsche Cycling            27.17
31 Frederick Nolf (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen             27.23
32 Chad Beyer (USA) BMC Racing Team                     27.43
33 Robbie Williams (Aus) Drapac Porsche Cycling         30.45
34 Joseph Lewis (Aus) Drapac Porsche Cycling            30.46
35 Rafaa Chitioui (Tun) Doha Team                       30.50
36 Gatis Smukulis (Lat) AG2R La Mondiale                31.28
37 Joon Yong Seo (Kor) Meitan Hompo - GDR               31.38
38 Cédric Pineau (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale                 35.49
39 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team               35.59
40 Maarten Neyens (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen             36.03
41 Farid Belhani (Alg) Doha Team                        36.22
42 Ricardo Van Der Velde (Ned) Garmin - Slipstream      36.37
43 Ben Swift (GBr) Team Katusha                         36.55
44 Stijn Joseph (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen               37.19
45 Gianni Da Ros (Ita) Liquigas                         40.23
46 Simon Spilak (Slo) Lampre - N.G.C.                   40.29
47 Daniel Braunsteins (Aus) Drapac Porsche Cycling      40.35
48 Abdelbaset Hannachi (Alg) Doha Team                  40.36
49 Taylor Tolleson (USA) BMC Racing Team                40.37
50 Badr Banihammad (UAE) Doha Team                      40.39
51 Moosa Said (Qat) Doha Team                           40.41
52 Masaaki Kikuchi (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR             40.48
53 Yasuharu Nakajima (Jpn) Meitan Hompo - GDR
 
Teams classification
 
1 Cervélo Test Team                                  30.45.06
2 Quick Step                                             2.27
3 Team Columbia - Highroad                               5.29
4 Team Katusha                                           7.27
5 Lampre - N.G.C                                         7.58
6 Skil-Shimano                                           8.11
7 Silence - Lotto                                       10.12
8 Team Milram                                           12.46
9 Rabobank                                              13.08
10 Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator                         18.17
11 BMC Racing Team                                      22.06
12 Garmin - Slipstream                                  24.20
13 AG2R-La Mondiale                                     26.03
14 Drapac Porsche Cycling                               35.12
15 Liquigas                                             35.30
16 Doha Team                                          1.01.29
17 Meitan Hompo - GDR                                 1.17.47